Easy Chopin Pieces

[schumaniac]

I'm also in the US, I just go by ABRSM standards since that's what the repertoire listed on site is graded by.
But really, the Chopin etudes should wait for this person, and DEFINITELY not be included on an "Easy Chopin Pieces" list.

Oh I see; yeah, OP is probably a beginner. He may need to wait a year or two...

[kevonthegreatpianist]

Ok I've ignored most posts in this topic. Here is my large dump of what I think are easy pieces (skipping the super obscure ones):

- the posthumous Waltz, in A minor
- the Mazurka op. 34 no. 3 in C major
- the POSTHUMOUS nocturne in C minor (just so you don't end up playing op. 48 no. 1 haha)
- the nocturne op. 37 no. 1 (G minor; a little challenging though)
- the nocturne op. 32 no. 1 (B major; a little challenging though)
- the Mazurka op. 7 no. 1 in B-flat major
- the posthumous Polonaise in G minor
- the C# minor nocturne (has some challenges though- polyrhythms and scales)
- the Eb major nocturne (also a little challenging)
- the E minor nocturne (has some complex polyrhythms)
- out of the Preludes: nos. 2 (needs stretches, and hard to memorize) 4, 7, 15, 20
- Etude op. 25 no. 2 (you have to have a decent technique to play this in tempo though)


I agree though that you should pick up some books with more diverse repertoire. I'd recommend Keith Snell's books in levels; each level has a book for Classical, Romantic/20th Century, and Etudes.

I think that Etudes shouldn't be considered "easy." His hardest etudes, such as 25/6 and 25/11, are probably the last Chopin pieces you should master.

His nocturne-like preludes, such as 28/13 or 28/15, are easier than the majority of his preludes, but you should master Chopin's easiest pieces before you go to the preludes.

His nocturnes are nowhere near easy. 32/1 was rated a Grade 8 by ABRSM and 37/1 requires lots of challenges. The c minor Nocturne (not 48/1) is actually fairly easy, but you should master his Cantabile before you start playing his Nocturne. The 48/1 isn't actually that complicated compared to his ballades and scherzos, but Chopin's ballades and scherzos are his ballades and scherzos, so yeah.

Lots of this mazurkas and waltzes are doable for intermediate pianists. Lots of pieces from the Op.67/68 sets are fairly easy. 67/1 and 68/1 are a bit harder and require a bit more technique, but otherwise, both sets are pretty easy. The Op.7 set is fairly easy. 7/1 and 7/5 are the easiest IMO of the set. The Op.56 and Op.59 mazurkas are IMO Chopin's hardest mazurkas and they should be doable after 1-2 years of playing Chopin.

And btw, there are two E-Flat nocturnes. 55/2 demands some technique and is a bit challenging, while 9/2 is similar to his Cantabile. And there are 3 c# nocturnes, the Nocturne Oubliee discovered recently.

[robinlamott]

Correct that Prelude in E minor is the easiest piece from Chopin.  However Chopin did not compose easy pieces and he made a point not to.  It was all about showing off his brilliance as a pianist as well and that meant writing music with a wow factor. Music that is easy to play just doesnt cut it with audiences who wanted to be thrilled. Liszt was the same, a total show off. as can be plainly seen by his compositions that were written to dazzle audiences. 

If you want a simple Chopin sounding pieces of music try Robin Lamott he writes in a romantic style and if you like Chopin you will like his music, what's more he is still alive.   Try Berceuse, Fur Eliza, Love Poem, Memories for example. .

[chopinlover01]

Correct that Prelude in E minor is the easiest piece from Chopin.  However Chopin did not compose easy pieces and he made a point not to.  It was all about showing off his brilliance as a pianist as well and that meant writing music with a wow factor. Music that is easy to play just doesnt cut it with audiences who wanted to be thrilled. Liszt was the same, a total show off. as can be plainly seen by his compositions that were written to dazzle audiences.

Not quite. Chopin was a well known introvert and gave very few public performances. Liszt did often show off when he was young, but as he grew older he started veering off in a different direction- experimenting with what would become the roots of impressionism and atonality. Chopin, however, preferred the intimate atmosphere of the salon, and gave few concerts. He wrote all the studies of pure technique very early, Op. 10 and Op. 25, and until much later he didn't write extremely showy pieces like Liszt did.

If you want a simple Chopin sounding pieces of music try Robin Lamott he writes in a romantic style and if you like Chopin you will like his music, what's more he is still alive.   Try Berceuse, Fur Eliza, Love Poem, Memories for example. .

If you're going to self promote, at least be a little more honest about it.. 

[kevonthegreatpianist]

Hmm I'm not sure how the "Grade 1-8" thing works. Here in the U.S., I'm used to the "level 1-10" type thing. In the U.S., I think 25-2 would be up there though, now that I think of it.

10-6 is a nice étude as you say. So is no. 2 in A flat in the "3 nouvelles etudes"

same

my fav are 10/1, 10/3, 10/4, 10/7, 10/8, 10/9, 10/12, 25/1, 25/5, 25/7, 25/10, 25/11, and all 3 of the nouvellous etudes, which like a lot of words, i can spell

Correct that Prelude in E minor is the easiest piece from Chopin.  However Chopin did not compose easy pieces and he made a point not to.  It was all about showing off his brilliance as a pianist as well and that meant writing music with a wow factor. Music that is easy to play just doesnt cut it with audiences who wanted to be thrilled. Liszt was the same, a total show off. as can be plainly seen by his compositions that were written to dazzle audiences. 

If you want a simple Chopin sounding pieces of music try Robin Lamott he writes in a romantic style and if you like Chopin you will like his music, what's more he is still alive.   Try Berceuse, Fur Eliza, Love Poem, Memories for example. .

I think the Waltz in a minor and 28/7 are a bit easier than 28/4, but 28/4 is close to being Chopin's easiest work. While it's true that Chopin didn't aim to make easy pieces, he didn't aim to make hard pieces. He probably thought his overly difficult works, like his fourth ballade or third sonata, was pretty easy or doable for the average pianist. Unlike Liszt, Chopin probably never made his pieces difficult in his point of view. And the reason the Etudes are difficult because Chopin meant the etudes to improve your technique and in piano. I mean, if Chopin erased the "thirds idea" in 25/6, it had no reason to be an etude! It would be like a second prelude in g# minor, or something. Chopin probably didn't know that one day, the etudes would be known much more than what they're supposed to be.

[rubinsteinmad]

same
And the reason the Etudes are difficult because Chopin meant the etudes to improve your technique and in piano.

I thought the Etudes were supposed to be for showing your developed technique After all, he dedicated them to Liszt If only these emojis had that heart-eye emoji Liszt is AWESOME!!!!

Bouree #1 is pretty nice sounding, as long as you get the rhythm. But it's not what you'd expect of Chopin

[kevonthegreatpianist]

I thought the Etudes were supposed to be for showing your developed technique After all, he dedicated them to Liszt If only these emojis had that heart-eye emoji Liszt is AWESOME!!!!

Bouree #1 is pretty nice sounding, as long as you get the rhythm. But it's not what you'd expect of Chopin

same as the Nocturne Oubliee. people are wondering if it was even composed by Chopin